Created by students and recent graduates, the emerging college social network website At The Pool, is now opening for ASU students. (Photo by Jessie Wardarski)Social media website At the Pool is helping students at ASU connect with each other this fall.
UCLA graduate Alex Capecelatro founded the website this year. The website matches users with people who have the same interests and live in the same area with the intention of getting them to meet up offline.
“Facebook is great at connecting us with friends and family, but terrible at introducing us to someone new,” Capecelatro said.
He first came up with the Los Angeles-based company as a student at UCLA when he was trying to find other students who were interested in BMX riding.
The website has 5,000 users in more than 90 countries and can be used both socially and professionally, Capecelatro said.
“Think of us like the host of a party — someone who knows both of you, what you’re into, where you’re from, and more,” Capecelatro said. “Like any good host, we make an introduction because we know you’ll get along.”
Business communication senior Laura Fisher thinks there is a possibility for the website to become popular.
“I wouldn’t go on it, but it would be a good tool for freshmen,” she said.
Fisher said she doesn’t have time for another social media website when there are so many already out there.
Conservation biology junior Caitlin MacMurtrie said she might use the website at home but not at school.
“It sounds a lot like Meetup,” she said.
Meetup is a website where people create groups and plan events to meet one another. “I’ve used that at home when I’m not in school.”
MacMurtrie said she would rather meet new people through clubs on campus so she knows they really are from ASU.
She said she is skeptical of meeting people online.
Capecelatro decided to launch the website at ASU because he had friends at the University and thought the website could help ASU’s many students.
He said he hopes At the Pool can help students, especially freshmen and transfer students, meet new people on campus.
At the Pool launched an exclusive section of its website Thursday just for ASU students. Students can use the invite code “ASU” on the website to sign up.
The website is free to use and plans for iPad and Android applications are underway.
Reach the reporter at mncosta1@asu.edu
